Best <$300 radio or receiver for Wellbrook loop and SSB reception?

[modrachlan]

I am looking to put $200 ish into a new radio or receiver. My goal is pleasant, copyable audio over SSB. I like to listen to weather and aircraft transmissions. I've gotten great results from a Lowe HF-150- everything else seems to be ok but not awesome. I lost my Lowe in a flood, and am not sure if I want to save up the samoleans for another one that I may or may not every find used.

So I'm setting my money sights a bit lower and thinking more about good portables. Maybe a Satellit 700, Sony 2010 or 7600GR, one of the Tecsuns or Etons (perhaps an E1). Could get into SDRs but I have had multiple headaches setting up various cheaper receivers and don't have the money for a Perseus or Elad. SDRSpy is possible though. Or hell, a boatanchor if one worth getting can be had for less than $300.

So I submit to you- what is your suggestion?

 

[prcguy]

For your price range I think something like an SDRplay RSP2pro would be your best bet. Unless you can find a known good older receiver used.
prcguy

 

[eorange]

I had a 7600GR for a few years. It was a very good SSB receiver and the audio was good. It had a fine-tune SSB wheel that worked nicely to zero in on the signal.

I used the built-in whip; there was an external antenna jack (I think) that if I recall there was some issue that made it inconvenient to use.

My 2 biggest gripes - the backlight only stayed on for 10 seconds, and there was no tuning knob. After you punched in the frequency using the keypad...you had to hit up/down buttons to tune.

But I thought it was a pretty good SSB receiver for the money.

 

[ka3jjz]

Sad to say but the days of the desktop rx are pretty much gone. SDRs are the way to go these days. prcguy has the right idea; but there are MANY other SDRs - some very inexpensive - that will do the job. Just recently SDRPlay announced their RSP1A which reportedly costs USD99. I would caution that many SDRs are prone to getting overloaded if you have a lot of MW or FM stations in your area, but there are filters you can buy to take care of that problem.

As to your using a Wellbrook - consider something made right here in the US at roughly 1/2 the cost that has been garnering a lot of positive attention - the W6LVP loop

And just to wet your whistle while you decide, there are numerous online radios you can use.

Links to all of these can be found below (in blue). The first includes links to LOTS of SDRs and reviews; the second has to do with Loops (where you can find the link for the W6LVP loop along with eHam comments) and the last is our link to online radios. Enjoy...Mike

SDRs with HF Coverage - The RadioReference Wiki

Loops - The RadioReference Wiki

Live Tunable Receivers - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[Ubbe]

I recommend a used DX-394 from ebay at about $50. I did the simplest mods to get rid of the beep when using the VFO wheel and added a capacitor and diod to improve reception. I had it connected to a wellbrook loop with a splitter sharing it with a Icom R75. They where about equal in reception of aircrafts and mil frequencies and sometimes the DX394 had the cleanest reception.

/Ubbe

 

[KM4BLG]

Someone already mentioned the SDR route, but I wanted to add a little to that. You've probably heard of the cheap RTL-SDR dongles ($20-25) everyone has gone crazy over on VHF/UHF. A lot of them now are starting to work on HF frequencies by turning on "direct sampling" in the software. I have played with a couple of these and I am quite impressed. The best part of all, no BFO to fiddle with. I have personally tried this one and had impressive results:

https://www.amazon.com/RTL-SDR-Blog-RTL2832U-Software-Defined/dp/B0129EBDS2/

P.S. With a USB OTG cable, you can plug this into an Android phone and do it from your phone too.

 

[Ubbe]

Keep in mind that some Androids do not support OTG mode.

/Ubbe

 

[renaldow]

I've got a Tecsun PL-600 and PL-660. Both are great radios but seem to be overloaded with too much of an external antenna. I don't know how they might do with your Wellbrook loop. I've also got a Sangean ATS 909X, which is fairly deaf on the whip but does well with an external. I think I'd recommend that one.

 

[modrachlan]

Thanks for the great replies! Lots to think about. I think I will investigate a cheaper SDR that extends into HF, and look into ebaying a DX-394. Much appreciated.

 

[jonwienke]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0129EBDS2/
This works reasonably well in HF.

 

[modrachlan]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0129EBDS2/
This works reasonably well in HF.

Would it be worth it though just to save up and get an Airspy HF+? It seems to be blowing everything else for $200 and less out of the water.

 

[ka3jjz]

If you read the various comments in the Software Design Radio forum, you might think twice about the Airspy. Some of this might well be folks running the gain too high or using too long an antenna, but the issues there are troubling

If it were me, I'd be looking at one of the SDRPlay units, as mentioned earlier. Mike

 

[modrachlan]

If you read the various comments in the Software Design Radio forum, you might think twice about the Airspy. Some of this might well be folks running the gain too high or using too long an antenna, but the issues there are troubling

If it were me, I'd be looking at one of the SDRPlay units, as mentioned earlier. Mike

Yikes. ok. Would the RSP1A be a good starting point? Great price and it seems to be highly regarded.

 

[prcguy]

The RSP2 and RSP2pro are both under $200 and cover 1KHz to 2GHz continuous, much more than the Airspy HF+. I have the RSP2pro version using it with giant antennas and don't have any AM BCB overload problems unless I max the gain out. I have a number of very high end HF/VHF/UHF receivers and the RSP2pro does a fantastic job for a really cheap price.
prcguy

Yikes. ok. Would the RSP1A be a good starting point? Great price and it seems to be highly regarded.